


Starting New

by AJKyle (orphan_account)



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Detective Comics (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Domestic, M/M, dads
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-07 07:35:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20305798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/AJKyle
Summary: Jason and Tim are moving into a new house with their baby, Catherine. They are beginning to settle in, but things aren't exactly how they seem.





	1. The beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I have been working on this concept for a while, so we'll see how it goes.

“Jay,” Tim shouted from the back of their moving van, “did you get the pot lids yet? I don’t see them back here.”  
He lifted a few boxes to look underneath, the last thing he wanted was to was to have to have forgotten something as stupid as pot lids. If Jason wouldn’t have thrown out his checklist he wouldn’t even have to worry. They weren’t in the van, so if Jason didn’t bring them into the house then they didn’t have them at all.

“Hold on one sec!” Jason shouted from inside the house, and Tim took that time to sit down in the open truck and wipe some sweat from his forehead. They had been hauling boxes for about an hour and Tim was already exhausted, and there was a lot more to do. Jason hadn’t lost muscle in the past few months the way that Tim had, or at least that’s how it appeared. 

“They’re inside babe, no worries.” Jason told Tim as he ran out of the house to get more boxes. Tim put to rest that little bit of stress, but still couldn’t imagine they weren’t missing something. When he got up to grab another box, Jason took it out of his hands, “Here let me take that, you rest for a few minutes.”

Tim didn’t even try to protest. Jason was energized in a way that he couldn’t even fathom after a day of being cramped in a car with a crying baby. So decided to sit on the curb and watch Jason carry things into the house, which he could very much appreciate. He wasn’t ignorant of the way Jason looked, even in sweats and a t-shirt.  
As much as Tim wanted to indulge in his little fantasies, luck was on his side. He plastered on a smile as a tall, blonde woman came running out of the house next door. She looked to be about twenty five and pretty, approaching Tim with a smile that reminded him of Dick.

“Hey neighbor!” She sounded too chipper to look as tired as she did. She was wearing comfortable, but stylish clothes and there was a stain on her left leg that Tim couldn’t identify. He guessed that she was a stay at home mom. “I’m Janine, I live next door. How are the two of you settling in?”

“Good. We are doing good. We’ve got a baby who wasn’t too happy about the drive, but otherwise.” Somehow Tim had almost forgotten to introduce himself, so he did that. “and Jay’s my husband. He’s inside unpacking.”

“Well it’s good to meet you. Where are you two coming from?” Ah, yes. The neighborly small talk. He had been to enough Wayne galas to be pretty good at that.  
“New Jersey, actually.”

They continued to small talk for a few minutes about the neighborhood and Janine. It turned out she had three young kids, all in elementary school.

“You guys must be so tired from the move.” Janine said, “Driving all day then all of this heavy lifting”

“Well, that’s what I have him for,” Tim said as Jason came jogging out of the house to get another box. Tim almost laughed at the way the woman’s jaw practically dropped. He sometimes forgot that most people weren’t used to seeing people built like Dick and Jason and Bruce daily. He looked fairly average when he was wearing a suit or a hoodie, so it was much less noticeable, but Jason was built like a tank.

“Wow, he sure is…” She trailed off, not shy about the way she way staring at Jason.

“Yup,” Tim responded. And he felt something…

Pride. That was Pride that he was feeling. Pride that was a bit misplace albeit, but still pride. 

Jason introduced himself to Janine and she decided to help the two of them finish unloading the boxes so that they could get some rest. They said goodnight after a while and Jason closed the door to their new home.

“Do you think that she suspected anything?” Tim asked.

“What that we are the run from batman or that we aren’t actually married? She doesn’t have reason to suspect anything. We’re fine. Just focus on being Tom Draper and we’ll figure out the rest tomorrow. I’m going to bed.”

Tom, Jay, and Catherine Draper: A little happy family.

Tim could do that.


	2. Things Hidden

-one month ago-

Tim looked ahead at the clock and then at the side view mirror to see the sun rising behind them. It was just barely six o'clock. They were on an empty road, broken white lines disappearing beneath the car. Jason hadn’t spoken since they had reached Pennsylvania. He had relaxed a little, at least. His knuckles weren’t white against the steering wheel anymore. The baby was calm now too. She was probably sleeping. Tim had spent 43 minutes calming her when they had left. She had been overwhelmed. Of course she had. All of the yelling and shouting. Tim didn’t even want to think about the circumstances before Jason had found her. 

There was going to be a lot to deal with very soon, but for right now all they could do was drive.

He could hear how fast her heartbeat was, feel against his body. He counted the beats. 164 beats in one minute. That was right for a sleeping one month old. That heartbeat became Tim’s number one priority quicker than he expected. He wasn’t going to let anyone touch her. 

“We need to stop soon.” Jason spoke up. 

“No. We can’t. We need to get as far away from Gotham as we can.” They needed to put distance between her and Bruce as they could. 

“I get where you’re coming from, but we need food and so does she. Diapers too. Clothes. We can stop now, get the basics, then we won’t stop for anything but gas until we hit Indiana, sound good?”

“Okay.” Tim agreed. Jason was right. Jason was the one thinking right now. 

He didn’t even know if they had started looking for them or if they had started and stopped. Bruce would look, but he probably wouldn’t leave Gotham now. They were probably fine, but that wasn’t good enough. 

It was another half an hour before they found a 24 hour grocery store in the middle of Pennsylvania. They went in together, Jason holding the baby. Tim didn’t know her name yet, he wasn’t sure if she had one.

They started with clothes. Tim and Jason didn’t bring anything other than some gear, Tim’s computer, a hunk of kryptonite, and the book that Bruce had used to condemn a baby. They picked up sweats, jeans, T-shirts, socks, and underwear for Jason and Tim and a few outfits for the baby. They got Diapers, wipes, formula, a binky, bottles, and a baby blanket for her. They got peanut butter, jelly, and bread for food and two large cases of water bottles. 

The cashier worked quickly. She smiled at them waved at the baby. 

“What is her name?” 

Tim looked at Jason

“Catherine,” Jason said. Tim wasn’t sure if he had made that up on the spot. 

“Well hello there.” The cashier said directly to the baby in a funny voice. Then she turned to Jason and Tim, “You two are really stocking up aren’t you?”

This time, thank god, Jason had an answer, “We just adopted her, we are going to visit my parents in North Carolina. Last night we left the car unlocked and someone took everything. No big deal though, we just needed a few things, we are going to get there tonight,” Tim came up with the story on the spot. It sounded all right and it sent anybody who was looking in the wrong direction. 

“I’m sure they are excited to meet their grandbaby! How brave of you two, driving such a long way with a little one. You must be so tired.” She finished scanning the last few items. “It must seem so hard now, but trust me, this is going to be the best thing you have ever done. After her, nothing else will be anything like it was. Every other accomplishment and hard time will seem like it was nothing. You are gonna be so proud of her.”

All Tim could do was smile. He didn’t dare look at Jason. 

-Now-

Once they settled in to their new life, it became alarmingly normal. They fell into an easy routine. After a few nights, they agreed it was unrealistic to sleep in separate beds. They had a cover to maintain after all. 

There were things that they had to adjust to. Tim missed home. He missed Steph and Dick. He missed Alfred. He missed Kon. Oh, God. Kon. Tim had left Kon without any explanation. He told him it was over and that he had to leave. Didn’t even wait for a response before he left. 

Tim told himself that Kon knew it was important. He knew that Tim wouldn’t just leave him without good reason.

But if he didn’t… it really would have been salt in the wound if he knew it was with Jason. Jason who he had his stupid crush on before he even looked at Kon. And Kon was so understanding. He had to be, or else he would be jealous and angry every time Tim’s heart sped up when Jason made eye contact with him. 

They never talked about it, but Kon didn’t hold anything against him. In a normal relationship Tim would be able to have his secrets, and that was how it was supposed to be.

Kon trusted Tim. And Tim ran away with Jason.


End file.
